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Soup

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale and Sausage

When those first really cold days of the season sneak up on you, it is a little hard to shake off the chill.  I came up with this recipe after a full day at work wishing that I had worn wool socks and boots (instead of no socks and ballet flats) and a warm sweater (instead of a cotton long sleeve shirt).  Why must I be a slave to fashion?  By the time I got home, walked the dog, and made it to the grocery store, I thought I would never feel warm again.  On this kind of day, you have to warm up from the inside out.  You just have to drink tea and eat soup.

As I previously mentioned, I had already worked all day, walked the dog, and gone to the store – I was cold, and hungry, and getting crankier by the minute!  A slow cooked soup was out.  I needed something that would be ready quickly, but would have the same soul-warming effect of my mom’s chicken noodle soup.  To help me achieve this, I turned to ready-to-use canned beans and prepared chicken stock, two ingredients that always help quick-cooking food taste slow.  I also grabbed the hot Italian sausage because I needed heat in both temperature and spice to shake this chill!

The nutritional and delicious recipe below will warm you up, please your doctor, feed an army, and taste even better the next day.  Grab a loaf of your favorite crusty bread and get ready to feel the heat!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. hot Italian sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rings
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• A dozen Crimini  mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cups kale, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 8 cups or two containers chicken stock (I prefer organic and sodium free so I can salt to taste)
• 2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans
• 1/4 lb. bow tie pasta
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Salt and red pepper flakes to taste
• Roughly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste (for garnish)

I a heavy bottom, large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Remove the sausage from its casing and add it to the pot, pressing it flat.  Leave it alone on one side, and then flip it when it is brown.  As the sausage browns on the second side, use a wooden spoon to break it up into bite sized pieces.

Add the onions, carrots, and garlic to the pot.  Season with salt, red pepper (optional), thyme and oregano.  Stir frequently until the vegetables begin to soften, about five minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for another minute.   Add all of the chicken stock and cover and cook for twenty minutes over medium-low heat.

Add the kale to the soup.  Re-cover and cook for another fifteen minutes.  Strain and rinse the beans.  Add the beans and the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente, about fifteen more minutes over medium-low heat.  Taste for seasoning.

Serve in big bowls garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and warm, crusty bread.  Feel the warmth and enjoy!